How many miles are too many miles?
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David and Susan Bratt
- Posts: 412
- Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:11 pm
How many miles are too many miles?
As we look for a replacement 24 RB we find that we are hesitant to consider vehicles that have more than 30,000 miles. I would love to know how many miles you have put on your E450s and what we might expect to happen at 40,000 or 50,000 miles. The insurance adjuster who saw our flooded vehicle said it wasn't even "broken in yet" at 17,000 miles. And I remember reading somewhere that E450s are built to do a quarter million miles. I'm guessing our next purchase will be in between there somewhere - but how many is too many? Sue
Sue, I bought my '01 this spring with 64,000 on it. I have put another 5k miles on it this summer.
IMHO, the condition of the vehicle, and how well it's been maintained are more important than the drivetrain mileage. I rode in a V10 E450 hotel-airport transport passenger van this summer that had over 300,000 miles on it. The body was a little creaky, and the interior showed some wear, but the van sounded and performed great.
You will have some maintenance expenses out of the gate if you buy from someone who doesn't have the records. I put new brake pads and tires on this summer, along with having a complete fluids change and the Ford-recommended 60,000 mile service done. I expect next spring will bring new shocks. My '01 with 69,000 on it looks and performs like an '07. I also only paid 1/3 of the price of a new 24' rear bath for my 23' rear kitchen. I can do a LOT of maintenance to my '01 for the $60,000 I saved.
I don't scrimp on maintenance, I use Mobil 1 and K&N or Wix oil filters and change oil every 5,000 miles. I replace wear parts before they're worn enough to fail. I hope this little moho will last us as long as we want to use a moho. I don't plan to buy another!
Roger
IMHO, the condition of the vehicle, and how well it's been maintained are more important than the drivetrain mileage. I rode in a V10 E450 hotel-airport transport passenger van this summer that had over 300,000 miles on it. The body was a little creaky, and the interior showed some wear, but the van sounded and performed great.
You will have some maintenance expenses out of the gate if you buy from someone who doesn't have the records. I put new brake pads and tires on this summer, along with having a complete fluids change and the Ford-recommended 60,000 mile service done. I expect next spring will bring new shocks. My '01 with 69,000 on it looks and performs like an '07. I also only paid 1/3 of the price of a new 24' rear bath for my 23' rear kitchen. I can do a LOT of maintenance to my '01 for the $60,000 I saved.
I don't scrimp on maintenance, I use Mobil 1 and K&N or Wix oil filters and change oil every 5,000 miles. I replace wear parts before they're worn enough to fail. I hope this little moho will last us as long as we want to use a moho. I don't plan to buy another!
Roger
'06 Born Free 32 RQ Kodiak Chassis
(Former: '01 Born Free 23 RK)
Dinghy: '16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a Blue Ox Aladdin tow bar.
Traveling with Sir Winston and Lady Rae (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
(Former: '01 Born Free 23 RK)
Dinghy: '16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a Blue Ox Aladdin tow bar.
Traveling with Sir Winston and Lady Rae (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
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George Boley
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2007 1:52 pm
Hi Sue,
You pose an interesting question, I think it has a lot to do a lot with one's comfort level. I have a friend who tries to buy cars that have atleast 125,000 miles on them. Myself, I look for vehicles that have just under 100,000. In both cases we recognize that public perception that vechicles with a hundred thousand miles are pretty well worn out and have little redeemable value. That was very true 50 years ago, but todays autos are better made, their running gear have much closer tolerances and with todays overdrive, engines turn fewer RPMs per mile so they last much longer. One of my cars has 151,000 on it and still runs great. Yet that old 100,000 perception still exsist with many buyers. In the final analysis you can get a great buy on a vehicle that is about ready to turn over that dreaded milestone.
But your real question was how long should you keep your coach before you reach the repair point of diminishing return. We already know that todays automobiles and trucks are fairly trouble free compared to the old days. My own coach (1999) has a 108,000 on it. While I take care of it, it does not get any of that miracle oil in it, for that matter I use what ever is on sale. I do change it every 3,000 to 5,000 and It uses only a quart every 3,000. I didn't have to change the front brake shoes until 100,000 and the rear are still the original. The universal joints are also original equipment. I keep close taps my coach and it's running gear and can say with all confidence it is as dependable today as when I bought it. As a side note, I don't remember being towed for mechanical problems once in the last 50 years on any of my horseless carriages.
But the biggest convincer of all is to take the NADA Blue Book and look up the value of say a 1999 Born Free with 90,000 on it, now increase that mileage to 110,000 then to 125,000 and see the difference. The depreciation is next to nothing. At no time in it's life will you run that vehicle any cheaper per mile. Sure you will have to replace some components but none of the cost will equal the cost of depreciation you experienced in the early years and low end of the mileage curb.-----------I rest my case.
George B
You pose an interesting question, I think it has a lot to do a lot with one's comfort level. I have a friend who tries to buy cars that have atleast 125,000 miles on them. Myself, I look for vehicles that have just under 100,000. In both cases we recognize that public perception that vechicles with a hundred thousand miles are pretty well worn out and have little redeemable value. That was very true 50 years ago, but todays autos are better made, their running gear have much closer tolerances and with todays overdrive, engines turn fewer RPMs per mile so they last much longer. One of my cars has 151,000 on it and still runs great. Yet that old 100,000 perception still exsist with many buyers. In the final analysis you can get a great buy on a vehicle that is about ready to turn over that dreaded milestone.
But your real question was how long should you keep your coach before you reach the repair point of diminishing return. We already know that todays automobiles and trucks are fairly trouble free compared to the old days. My own coach (1999) has a 108,000 on it. While I take care of it, it does not get any of that miracle oil in it, for that matter I use what ever is on sale. I do change it every 3,000 to 5,000 and It uses only a quart every 3,000. I didn't have to change the front brake shoes until 100,000 and the rear are still the original. The universal joints are also original equipment. I keep close taps my coach and it's running gear and can say with all confidence it is as dependable today as when I bought it. As a side note, I don't remember being towed for mechanical problems once in the last 50 years on any of my horseless carriages.
But the biggest convincer of all is to take the NADA Blue Book and look up the value of say a 1999 Born Free with 90,000 on it, now increase that mileage to 110,000 then to 125,000 and see the difference. The depreciation is next to nothing. At no time in it's life will you run that vehicle any cheaper per mile. Sure you will have to replace some components but none of the cost will equal the cost of depreciation you experienced in the early years and low end of the mileage curb.-----------I rest my case.
George B
George Boley
Knowledge will never be lost, provided it is shared
Knowledge will never be lost, provided it is shared
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jobrien
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Trisha
LOL!
I'm also not surprised his RV is running well. Of course it is. I don't know how many folks I've met who pull on their coveralls when they go out to work on their rig, but I think George always has his with...
I have a 2005 26' RB with 31,000 miles on it. and I didn't hardly go anywhere this year. Just Colorado and back to MN. Couple thousand measly miles.
If a person has complete service records, I think the most important thing to know is how well they cared for it and how well they documented that.
Highway miles are supposed to be easier on anything you drive. Most of our rigs spend more times on highways than in any kind of traffic.
Most RV's mileage only indicates they aren't driven much.
Trish
I'm also not surprised his RV is running well. Of course it is. I don't know how many folks I've met who pull on their coveralls when they go out to work on their rig, but I think George always has his with...
I have a 2005 26' RB with 31,000 miles on it. and I didn't hardly go anywhere this year. Just Colorado and back to MN. Couple thousand measly miles.
If a person has complete service records, I think the most important thing to know is how well they cared for it and how well they documented that.
Highway miles are supposed to be easier on anything you drive. Most of our rigs spend more times on highways than in any kind of traffic.
Most RV's mileage only indicates they aren't driven much.
Trish
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Dan & Riza
We returned from a 4000 trip in August 2010 & as we pulled into the driveway, the odometer turned to exactly 18,000 (118,000 it had turned over) The only trouble we had was that the fuel pump went out & we were towed to a garage to get it replaced. We had bought Good San towing insurance & the tow cost nothing extra. The Good San service was good. We are taking a trip in it to El Paso this week, so, they can run for a lot of miles....Dan & Riza
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Dallas Baillio
- Posts: 1181
- Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 10:52 pm
I have resized the two over-sized photos in Dan & Riza's post above. They were way over our forums rule about restricting posted photo width to a maximum of 9.0" As those who tried to read all of the reply posts on this topic, posted photos that are too wide cause readability problems. The orginal photos posted by Dan & Riza were 21.33" wide and caused the need to scroll back and forth in order to both read the text and to view the photos on all posts on this particular topic - not just the post by Dan and Riza.
So anyone intending to post photos on this forum, please first read and follow the rules in the topic titled Photo Posting Rules & Hints.
So anyone intending to post photos on this forum, please first read and follow the rules in the topic titled Photo Posting Rules & Hints.
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(bfadmin-3) Sandy Perley - Assistant Administrator
(bfadmin-2) Bill Hemme - Backup Administrator
(bfadmin) Email: bfadmin@bornfreervclub.org
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Dan & Riza
I also subscribe to the "more miles the better" theory when buying vehicles. If Ford's recommended maintenance is followed, todays drive trains (engine, transmission, drive shafts, rear axle and wheels) will go 100's of thousands miles without failure.
The smaller stuff like power steering pumps, batteries, alternator, and brakes usually give plenty of warning when they start to fail.
You will be way ahead financially to buy a higher miles vehicle. And, if a vehicle has unusually low miles for its age, beware. Long periods (four months plus) of sitting idle are not good for them. Taxis and commercial vehicles get the highest milage before wearing out because they don't sit around long enough to get internal corrosion and dried seals.
The smaller stuff like power steering pumps, batteries, alternator, and brakes usually give plenty of warning when they start to fail.
You will be way ahead financially to buy a higher miles vehicle. And, if a vehicle has unusually low miles for its age, beware. Long periods (four months plus) of sitting idle are not good for them. Taxis and commercial vehicles get the highest milage before wearing out because they don't sit around long enough to get internal corrosion and dried seals.